Lewis Hamilton has won a fifth world championship, matching Juan Manuel Fangio and is now within two of Michael Schumacher’s record

Here, we take a closer look at the drivers in whose company Hamilton finds himself.

 

Juan Manuel Fangio

Fangio was among Formula One’s founding fathers, competing in the 1950s when death was synonymous with the sport.

Considered by many as the greatest of all time, Fangio, known as El Maestro, won five championships in just six seasons.

A feather in his cap was that he uniquely won those titles with four different constructors: Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Mercedes and Maserati.

His team-mate, Sir Stirling Moss, still says he is the best driver ever.

Before the United States Grand Prix, Hamilton described the Argentinian – who died in 1995 – as F1’s godfather. His record of five championships stood for nearly half a century.

 

Michael Schumacher

The German won seven championships, two with Benetton in 1994 and 1995 and then an unprecedented five on the spin for Ferrari at the turn of the century.

A controversial driver, he collided with Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve at the 1994 and 1997 championship deciders, before he deliberately parked his Ferrari at Monaco in 2006 to prevent Fernando Alonso from setting a lap in qualifying.

He galvanised Ferrari following his move from Benetton, and his total of 91 victories is 20 greater than any driver, with Hamilton next on the list.

Little is known of Schumacher’s current medical health following a skiing crash on holiday with his family in the French Alps in 2013.